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Elijah
Elijah was a prophet of God from the mountainous region of Gilead, who prophesied certain events, performed miracles, and mentored his successor Elisha under commission from God. His commission came sometime in the reign of King Ahab over Israel. In the end, he and was taken up to heaven rather than physically experiencing death. The prophet Malachi would predict his return. John the Baptist would serve as the prophetic fulfillment to Elijah's return. Elijah first shows up without fanfare in the court of Ahab, king of the northern tribes (then known as "Israel"), and swears by the name of the one true God, the Lord, saying that a drought was coming that only another prophetic word from himself could alleviate.1 Kings 17:1 Afterwords, he receives instructions from the Lord, saying that he must hide near a seasonal brook called Cherith to have water during the coming drought. While there, he was to be fed by ravens—one of the unclean animals forbidden by the Law.Lev. 11:15 After the brook dried up, another message came from God, telling Elijah to go across the land to go into the neighboring nation of Tyre where he is assured he will receive adequate food. What he found broke his heart: a widow about to eat her last meal! But when he asked her for water and bread, she obeyed, finding that God had provided—no fire or water needed. Then, tragedy struck and her son died. However, to vindicate the power of the Lord, Elijah turned to Him in prayer. The boy was brought back to life. When Elijah returned to Israel, he was a hero, for only he had the ear of God to end the drought. However, king Ahab blamed the messenger as a "trouble maker." Ahab considered him a threat, and the cause of the disaster. And then, the prophet stood up against all of the pagan priests in a public battle between the regional "god" (Baal) and the Lord. After a victory against Baal and his followers, Elijah found himself at war with the queen, Jezebel. Fearing the worst, he fled south, into the wilderness of Judah and then all the way to Mt, Horeb (aka Mt. Sinai) where God encountered him as a "still, small voice" in the midst of disasters. The message was to go find his own replacement: that person was Elisha. After training him, Elijah was called by the Lord one last time, disappearing into heaven. Biography Confrontation with Ahab Elijah was a Tishbite hailing from Tishbe. Elijah had been sent by God to confront Ahab, the monarch over Israel at the time. Elijah proclaimed to Ahab that a drought would come over Israel unless Elijah commanded so. Traveling to avoid Drought Journey to Kerith Ravine After his confrontations with Ahab, Elijah was commanded by God to travel to Kerith Ravine in order to avoid the coming drought. There he drank from the brook and was fed by ravens.1 Kings 17:2-4 The Widow at Zarephath Eventually Elijah ceased drinking from the brook since it had dried up. Elijah was then directed by God to travel to Zarephath where a widow would provide him food.1 Kings 17:7-8 So Elijah traveled to Zarephath and at the city gate met the widow, who was intended to feed him. Elijah requested the widow to fetch him water and a piece of bread.1 Kings 17:10-11 The widow replied she had no bread, which lead to Elijah instructing her what was to be done with the materials she had.1 Kings 17:12-14 With these instructions the widow did as she was told (leaving the flour she had not to run out and the oil not to dry) and there was food everyday for Elijah, the widow and her son. This had been a miracle from God, since Elijah had instructed the widow by God's words.1 Kings:15-16 Eventually the widow's son became ill and died, leaving the widow to believe Elijah was punishing her because or her sins. Elijah took her son to the room in the widow's home where he was staying and prayed to God to bring him back to life. God heard Elijah's pleas and did so.1 Kings 17:17-19 Once life had returned to the widow's son, Elijah carried him back to his mother showing her that he was alive. This led the widow to truly believe Elijah was a man sent by God.1 Kings 17:23-24 Elijah returns to Israel Elijah reunites with Obadiah Three years had passed and God commissioned Elijah to announce to Ahab the drought would be over. Elijah traveled to the palace and as he was walking encountered Obadiah, Ahab's palace administrator (despite being a devout believer in God), looking for some grass to feed to cattle. Obadiah being a servant of Elijah came up and knelt to him.1 Kings 18:1-7 As Obadiah knelt, Elijah told him to notify Ahab that he was wishing to speak to the king. Obadiah reacted in fear, hesitating, believing that Ahab would kill him. Elijah assured Obadiah he would present himself to Ahab, and Obadiah went and did as he was told.1 Kings 18:8-15 Elijah on Mount Carmel So Obadiah sent for Ahab and Ahab went to Elijah. Ahab questioned Elijah to see if it was him, calling him a troubler. Elijah replied to Ahab telling him of his faults to the nation of Israel. Elijah then requested Ahab to gather all the people and the prophets of Israel onto Mount Carmel, therefore he did.1 Kings 18:17-20 So Elijah spoke before the people on the Mountain, questioning their alternating opinions as to who was the God of Israel. Elijah continued on, stating that he was the last prophet of the Lord, while Baal (the other option for the true God) had a great number of prophets. Elijah challenged Baal, proposing a contest where each would prepare a bull and place it on an altar without setting it afire. Whichever God set the altar on fire would be considered Israel's God.1 Kings 18:22-24 Elijah then requested that the Baal worshipers prepare their bull first, due to the large number of the Baal worshipers. They prayed to Baal from the morning until noon, yet there was no response from Baal. Elijah soon began to taunt Baal's followers to pray even louder, stating that perhaps Baal was resting or in deep thought.1 Kings 18:25-28 The Baalists continued to worship Baal, yet no response was made to their pleas. Afterwards Elijah prompted the Baalitsts to come with him as he prepared his sacrifice to the Lord. He gathered twelve stones, one for each of the tribes of Israel. Using these stones he built an altar and dug a trench around it. He gathered wood and arranged it accordingly; then he sliced the bull and put it on top of the wood.1 Kings 18:30-32 Then Elijah ordered the Baalists to dump great amounts of water onto the altar three times, even filling the trench.1 Kings 18:33-35 After this Elijah prayed to God to burn his sacrifice. Therefore, God sent down fire and burned the sacrifice as well as the altar itself and evaporated the water in the trench.1 Kings 18:36-38 When the Baal worshipers saw this, they fell and worshiped The Lord1 Kings 18:39 and Elijah told the people to arrest the prophets of Baal. Then these prophets of Baal were killed.1 Kings 18:40 This task complete, Elijah prayed to the Lord for rain, sending his servant toward the sea seven times to get a weather report. Finally, a cloud appearing to be about the size of a man's hand on the horizon. He told Ahab to get in his chariot and get back to the palace. But then, he outran the chariot!1 Kings 18:41-46 Elijah's Final Mission When Elijah got back into town, he found out that Jezebel was not pleased. She was determined to protect her 450 prophets of Ashterah from this troublesome prophet of the Lord. She puts out a call for his death, forcing him to flee. He ran into the desert and begged to die at the Lord's hand. Instead, an angel came to him and fed him, telling him to prepare for a long journey. Forty days later, he found himself at the place where the Lord gave Moses the Law. Hiding in a cave, he heard the Lord speaking to him, telling him to go outside and look around. Then God sent a great wind, followed by an earthquake and a fire, but no manifestation such as had been seen by Moses. Instead, there was a whisper telling him to go back to Israel to anoint two men as king. And then to anoint Elisha to be his successor.1 Kings 19:15-16 Elijah predicts the End of a Dynasty Before he finishes his prophetic ministry, Elijah heads over to the palace to provide a final word to Ahab's family. He predicts the death of both Jezebel and Ahab,1 Kings 21:17-24 and though Ahab would get a reprieve from God, both monarchs would meet terrible deaths after they had killed an innocent man to acquire his land. Later, when the new king had been injured, and he sought advice from false prophets only to be approached by Elijah with the 'bad news' -- he was going to die. The young king did not like this and sent several bands of soldiers to get the prophet. Finally one captain dared to stand against the kings orders to take Elijah by force and just asked him to come. Assured by the Lord that it was safe, Elijah delivered the message in person.2 Kings 1:1-16 Taken from Earth His work done, Elijah brought Elisha with him as he crossed the Jordan heading toward his home town in Gilead. When they got there, he told his prize student that he was leaving but that if Elisha saw him leave, the would receive a double blessing from God. And then, a "chariot of fire" came between the two of them and a whirlwind took Elijah away into heaven. When Elisha's friends looked for the great prophet, he was not to be found.2 Kings 2:1-11 Legacy John the Baptist The Transfiguration When Jesus took three Apostles: James, John and Peter he transfigured his form. Verses Category:Books of Kings Category:Old Testament People Category:Prophets Category:People Category:Persons Category:Men Category:Old Testament Category:Old Testament Men Category:Hebrews Category:Israelites Category:Theophoric People